A Family

Sister Mary Grace (Donna) Cozzoli Sister Mary Grace (Donna) Cozzoli was called home by our Lord into His eternal peace on January 24, 2021.  Born on January 19, 1955, in North Plainfield, New Jersey, she was the youngest daughter of Joseph and Martha Cozzoli. Sister Mary Grace was the woman her name personified in many ways. A caring sister, a loving child to her parents, a dedicated servant of her faith, she exemplified a life of service and love. She entered the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in 1989.  In her early years in the congregation, she worked in pastoral care and day care, then for retired priests in New Jersey and Nebraska. Eventually, after her work in the household of the Archbishop of St. Louis, she was transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., where she accepted the office of Sister-In-Charge. During her six years there, she was privileged to host Pope Francis when he visited and stayed at the residence. ...

[My brother-in-law Jim is Eileen (Jannuzzi) Langdon's husband.  I am a great admirer of his work, so I thought I would share with you his talent. They live near Biltmore, in Asheville, where some of the best inspirations in nature also reside...as you can see.  Enjoy!]

   Long time, no see! Hope you are doing well. My mom forwarded me the "family Q&A" email, but I've only just had the time to sit down and reply.  I am Mary Grace, daughter of Carol (Cozzoli) Zmuda and Henry Zmuda [and granddaughter of Joseph and Martha Cozzoli]. I don't have any siblings.   I grew up in the Panhandle for a few years, but called Gainesville my home for throughout middle school/high school and college. Now I live in Melbourne, FL (I wish it was Australia though!).  No children, unless you count my dog (who lives with my parents) and my cat (who lives with me)! I adopted my cat in the middle of college when he was just 8 weeks old. Now he's 3! His name is Sisko, after a Star Trek captain.  I work in the communications department at an aerospace & defense technology company, L3Harris (formerly known as Harris). I started last May! I'm actually in a rotational program, so I get to experience different areas of commun...

 About four years ago, I visited my sister Ann and brother Tom and his wife Jean in Jupiter, where they were living (Jean is still there, and now her daughter Sara and her family are also nearby).  It was probably January or February, and I was glad to be there, missing a huge snow and ice storm farther up the Atlantic coast.  Among the things we did together was to visit Janet at her condo above the water in West Palm Beach.  Janet very graciously made lunch for us and we caught up on our lives...it had been some years since I'd seen Janet, probably at the shore, when Mom and Aunt Vi or Aunt Sadie were there. Here are some photos which we treasure, especially since Tom passed away a year later, but also because we had such a lovely time with Janet that day, one of those that bank the memory. Thought we'd share. Ann Rexroad, Janet, Tom Jannuzzi Vicky Mills, Janet, Tom Tom

 Sadie DiLiddo Barbara Jaeger

 Ed. Note:  Janet and I talked by phone today and this is what she told me.  Anyone who has photos which can go along with this part of her story, please send them and I'll add, gladly.    rvm The Depression Growing up then didn’t make a very happy childhood.   We lived in Camden  my three sisters (I’m the second one) and my brother and parents, and during those years my mother worked, cleaning and baking for people who were wealthier.   My father had been laid off…there were many lay-offs then…so she had to go out to support our family.   Now I look back and feel sad for my mother, thinking of how hard she worked.  But we stuck together. I mentioned before that children often left school at sixteen to work, helping the family along.   In a class of 50, maybe two went on to college.   The rest of us worked.   We grabbed any job we could, in a candy store, or Woolworth’s five-and-ten, maybe a restaurant, whatever we cou...

  Night sky 2020 Dear Family, This year, I have so enjoyed connecting with cousins...third, fourth, fifth...and memories of those who have gone before, and am so glad that this blog has been a way to keep us in touch...at least on the keyboard. In a year when many traditions have to be re-envisioned, one of mine remains the same: to make and send cards about this time each year.  This year I began at the first of November and, after a few each day, reached the 108 mark.  Though it seems a lot, these days especially it helped to focus my mornings and give my spirits a lift...not that my grandson Alexander doesn't do that in the afternoons.  I wondered how I could include the rest of you in my greetings.  The answer was so simple:  here's the Family Blog...post here. So here is your card, above, and here my wish for you: I wish you peace, first of all,  in your hearts, minds and understanding. I wish you health. I wish you a good, really good year. Spea...